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Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y    14580 

(716)  872-4503 


.^. 


&? 


C?' 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 

1980 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


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Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


D 


D 


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D 
D 
D 

n 


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n 


Additional  comments:/ 
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Ce  document  est  fiim6  au  taux  de  r6duction  indiqu6  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


J 


26X 


30X 


12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


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The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  — »►  (meaning  "CON- 
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method; 


Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
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par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
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plat,  selon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  filmds  en  commenpant  par  la 
premidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  chaque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  —^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
filmds  d  des  taux  de  reduction  diffdrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichd,  il  est  filmd  d  partir 
de  Tangle  supdrieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  It)  nombre 
d'images  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mdthode. 


1 

2 

3 

32X 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

Fr^ 


<0\n  .^outi)  aicafut0» 


No.  37- 


The  Voyages 
of    the    Cabots. 


From  Hakluyt's  "Principal  Navigations,  Voyages  and 
Discoveries  of  the  English  Nation." 


The  Letters  patents  of  King  Henry  the  seuenth  granted 
vnto  lohn  Cabot  and  his  three  sonnes,  Lewis,  Sebastian, 
and  Sancius  for  the  discouerie  of  new  and  vnknowen 
lands. 

HEnry,  by  the  grace  of  God,  king  of  England  and  France, 
and  lord  of  Ireland,  to  all  to  whom  these  presents  shall  come, 
Greeting. 

Be  it  knowen  that  we  haue  giuen  and  granted,  and  by  these 
presents  do  glue  and  grant  for  vs  and  our  heires,  to  our  wel- 
beloued  John  Cabot  citizen  of  Venice,  to  Lewis,  Sebastian,  and 
Santius,  sonnes  of  the  sayd  lohn,  and  to  the  heires  of  them,  and 
euery  of  them,  and  their  deputies,  full  and  free  authority,  leaue, 
and  power  to  saile  to  all  parts,  countreys,  and  seas  of  the  East, 
of  the  West,  and  of  the  North,  vnder  our  banners  and  ensignes, 
with  fiue  ships  of  what  burthen  or  quantity  soeuer  they  be, 
and  as  many  mariners  or  men  as  they  will  haue  with  them  in 
the  sayd  ships,  vpon  their  owne  proper  costs  and  charges,  to 
seeke  out,  discouer,  and  finde  whatsoeuer  isles,  countreys, 
regions  or  prouinces  of  the  heathen  and  infidels  whatsoeuer 
they  be,  and  in  what  part  of  the  world  soeuer  they  be,  which  be- 
fore this  time  haue  bene  vnknowen  to  all  Christians :  we  haue 
granted  to  them,  and  also  to  euery  of  them,  the  heires  of  them, 
and  euery  of  them,  and  their  deputies,  and  haue  giuen  them 
licence  to  set  vp  our  banners  and  ensignes  in  euery  village, 
towne,  castle,  isle,  or  maine  land  of  them  newly  found.  And 
that  the  aforesayd  Tohn  and  his  sonnes,  or  their  heires  and 
assignes  may  subdue,  occupy  and    possesse   all   such   townes, 


rr^ 


I 


I    * 


i 


cities,  castles  and  isles  of  them  found,  which  they  can  subdue, 
occupy  and  possesse,  as  our  vassals,  and  lieutenants,  gettincj 
vnto  vs  the  rule,  title,  and  iurisdiction  of  the  same  villages, 
townes,  castles,  &  firme  land  so  found.  Yet  so  that  the  afore 
sayd  lohn,  and  his  sonnes  and  heires,  and  their  deputies,  be 
holden  and  bounden  of  all  the  fruits,  prohts,  gaines,  and  com- 
modities growing  of  such  navigation,  for  euery  their  voyage,  as 
often  as  they  shall  arriue  at  our  pori  of  Bristoll  (at  the  which 
port  they  shall  be  bound  and  holden  onely  to  arriue)  all  maner 
of  necessary  costs  and  charges  by  them  made,  being  deducted, 
to  pay  vnto  vs  in  wares  or  money  the  fift  part  of  the  capitall 
gaine  so  gotten.  We  gluing  and  granting  vnto  them  and  to 
their  heires  and  deputies,  that  they  shall  be  free  from  all  paying 
of  customes  of  all  and  singular  such  merchandize  as  they  shall 
bring  with  them  from  those  places  so  newly  found.  And  more- 
ouer,  we  haue  giuen  and  granted  to  them,  their  heires  and  depu- 
ties, that  all  the  firme  lands,  isles,  villages,  townes,  castles  and 
places  whatsoeuer  they  be  that  they  shall  chance  to  finde,  may 
not  of  any  other  of  our  subiects  be  frequented  or  visited  without 
the  licence  of  the  aforesayd  lohn  an<l  his  sonnes,  and  their 
deputies,  vnder  paine  of  forfeiture  asvvell  of  their  shippes  as  of 
all  and  singuler  goods  of  all  them  that  shall  presume  to  saile  to 
those  places  so  found.  Willing,  and  most  straightly  command- 
ing all  and  singuler  our  subiects  aswell  on  land  as  on  sea,  to 
giue  good  assistance  to  the  aforesayd  lohn  and  his  sonnes  and 
deputies,  and  that  as  well  in  arming  and  furnishing  their  ships 
or  vessels,  as  in  prouision  of  food,  and  in  buying  of  victuals  for 
their  money,  and  all  other  things  by  them  to  be  prouided  neces- 
sary for  the  sayd  nauigation,  they  do  giue  them  all  their  helpe 
and  fauour.  In  witnesse  whereof  we  haue  caused  to  be  made 
these  our  Letters  patents.  Witnesse  our  selfe  at  Westminster 
the  fift  day  of  March,  in  the  eleuenth  yeere  of  our  reigne. 

Billa  signata  anno  13  Henrici  septimi. 

THe  king  vpon  the  third  day  of  February,  in  the  13  yeere  of 
his  reigne,  gaue  licence  to  lohn  Cabot  to  take  sixe  English  ships 
in  any  hauen  or  hauens  of  the  realme  of  England,  being  of  the 
burden  of  200  tunnes,  or  vnder,  with  all  necessary  furniture, 
and  to  take  also  into  the  said  ships  all  such  masters,  mariners, 
and  subiects  of  the  king  as  willingly  will  go  with  him,  &c. 

An  extract  taken  out  of  the  map  of  Sebastian  Cabot,  cut  by 
Clement  Adams,  concerning  his  discouery  of  the  West 
Indies,  which  is  to  be  scene  in  her  Maiesties  piiuie  gal- 


lerie  at  Westminster,   and  in  many  other   ancient  mer- 
chants houses. 

IN  the  yeere  of  our  Lord  1497  lohn  Cabot  a  Venetian,  and 
his  Sonne  Sebastian  (with  an  English  fleet  set  out  from  Bristoll) 
discoured  that  land  which  no  man  before  that  time  had  attempted, 
on  the  24  of  lune,  about  fine  of  the  clocke  early  in  the  morning. 
This  land  he  called  Prima  vista,  that  is  to  say,  P'irst  seene, 
because  as  I  suppose  it  was  that  part  whereof  they  had  the 
first  sight  from  sea.  That  Island  which  lieth  out  before  the 
land,  he  called  the  Island  of  S.  lohn  vpon  this  occasion,  as  I 
tiiinke,  because  it  was  discouered  vpon  the  day  of  lohn  the 
Baptist.  The  inhabitants  of  this  Island  vse  to  weare  beasts 
skinnes,  and  haue  them  in  as  great  estimation  as  we  haue  our 
finest  garments.  In  their  warres  they  vse  bowes,  arrowes,  pikes, 
darts,  woodden  clubs,  and  slings.  The  soile  is  barren  in  some 
places,  &  yeeldeth  little  fruit,  but  it  is  full  of  white  beares,  and 
stagges  farre  greater  than  ours.  It  yeeldeth  plenty  of  fish,  and 
those  very  great,  as  scales,  and  those  which  commonly  we  call 
salmons :  there  are  soles  also  aboue  a  yard  in  length :  but 
especially  there  is  great  abundance  of  that  kinde  of  fish  which 
the  Sauages  call  baccalaos.  In  the  same  Island  also  there 
breed  hauks,  but  they  are  so  blacke  that  they  are  very  like  to 
rauens,  as  also  their  partridges,  and  egles,  which  are  in  like  sort 
llacke. 

A  discourse  of  Sebastian  Cabot  touching  his  discouery  of 
part  of  the  West  India  out  of  England  in  the  time  of 
king  Henry  the  seuenth,  vsed  to  Galeacius  Butrigarius 
the  Popes  Legate  in  Spaine,  and  reported  by  the  sayd 
Legate  in  this  sort. 

DOe  you  not  vnderstand  sayd  he  (speaking  to  certaine 
Gentlemen  of  Venice)  how  to  passe  to  India  toward  the  North- 
west, as  did  of  late  a  citizen  of  Venice,  so  valiant  a  man,  and  so 
well  practised  in  all  things  pertaining  to  nauigations,  and  the 
science  of  Cosmographie,  that  at  this  present  he  hath  not  his 
like  in  Spaine,  insomuch  that  for  his  vertues  he  is  preferred 
aboue  all  other  pilots  that  saile  to  the  West  Indies,  who  may 
not  passe  thither  without  his  licence,  and  is  therefore  called 
Piloto  mayor,  that  is,  the  grand  Pilot.  And  when  we  sayd  that 
we  knew  him  not,  he  proceeded,  saying,  that  being  certaine 
yeres  in  the  city  of  Siuil,  and  desirous  to  haue  some  knowledge 
of  the  nauigations  of  the  Spanyards,  it  was  tolde  him  that  there 
was  in  the  city  a  valiant  man,  a  Venetian  borne  named  Sebastian 
Cabot,  who  had  the  charge    of  those  things,  being  an  expert 


w 


i! 


man  in  that  science,  and  one  that  coulde  make  Gardes  for  the 
Sea  with  his  owne  hand,  and  by  this  report,  seeking  his  acquaint- 
ance, hee  found  him  a  very  gentle  person,  who  intertained  him 
friendly,  and  shewed  him  many  things,  and  among  other  a  large 
Mappe  of  the  world,  with  certaine  particuler  Nauigations,  as 
well  of  the  Portugals,  as  of  the  Spaniards,  and  that  he  spake 
further  vnto  him  to  this  effect. 

When  my  father  departed  from  Venice  many  yeeres  since  to 
dwell  in  England,  to  follow  the  trade  of  marchandises,  hee  tooke 
mee  with  him  to  the  citie  of  London,  while  I  was  very  yong,  yet 
hauing  neuerthelesse  some  knowledge  of  letters  of  humanitie, 
and  cf  the  Sphere.  And  when  my  father  died  in  that  time  when 
newes  were  brought  that  Don  Christopher  Colonus  Genuese 
had  discouered  the  coasts  of  India,  whereof  was  great  talke  in 
all  the  Gourt  of  king  Henry  the  7.  who  then  raigned,  insomuch 
that  all  men  with  great  admiration  affirmed  it  to  be  a  thing  more 
diuine  than  humane,  to  saile  by  the  West  into  the  East  where 
spices  growe,  by  a  way  that  was  neuer  knowen  before,  by  this 
fame  and  report  there  increased  in  my  heart  a  great  flame  of 
desire  to  attempt  some  notable  thing.  And  vnderstanding  by 
reason  of  the  Sphere,  that  if  I  should  saile  by  way  of  the  North- 
west, I  should  by  a  shorter  tract  come  into  India,  I  thereupon 
caused  the  King  to  be  aduertised  of  my  deuise,  who  imme- 
diately commanded  two  Garuels  to  bee  furnished  with  all  things 
appertayning  to  the  voyage,  which  was  as  farre  as  I  remember  in 
the  yeere  1496.  in  the  beginning  of  Sommer.  I  began  therefore 
to  saile  toward  the  Northwest,  not  thinking  to  finde  any  other 
land  than  that  of  Cathay,  &  from  thence  to  turne  toward  India, 
but  after  certaine  dayes  I  found  that  the  land  ranne  towards  the 
North,  which  was  to  mee  a  great  displeasure.  Neuerthelesse, 
sayling  along  by  the  coast  to  see  if  I  could  finde  any  gulfe  that 
turned,  I  found  the  lande  still  continent  to  the  56.  degree  vnder 
our  Pole.  And  seeing  that  there  the  coast  turned  toward  the 
East,  despairing  to  finde  the  passage,  I  turned  backe  againe, 
and  sailed  downe  by  the  coast  of  that  land  toward  the  Equinoc- 
tiall  (euer  with  intent  to  finde  the  saide  passage  to  India)  and 
came  to  that  part  of  this  firme  lande  which  is  nowe  called  Florida, 
where  my  victuals  failing,  I  departed  from  thence  and  returned 
into  England,  where  I  found  great  tumults  among  the  people, 
and  preparation  for  warres  in  Scotland  :  by  reason  whereof 
there  was  no  more  consideration  had  to  this  voyage. 

Whereupon  I  went  into  Spaine  to  the  Gatholique  king,  and 
Queene  Elizabeth,  which  being  aduertised  what  I  had  done, 
intertained  me,  and  at  their  charges  furnished  certaine  ships, 


5 

wherewith  they  caused  me  to  saile  to  discouer  the  coastcs  of 
Brazile,  where  I  found  an  exceeding  great  and  large  riuer  named 
at  this  present  Rio  de  la  plata,  that  is,  the  riuer  of  siluer,  into 
the  which  I  sailed  and  followed  it  into  the  firnie  land,  more 
than  sixe  score  leagues,  finding  it  euery  where  very  faire,  and 
inhabited  with  infinite  people,  which  with  admiration  came 
running  dayly  to  our  ships.  Into  this  Riuer  runne  so  many 
other  riuers,  that  it  is  in  maner  incredible. 

After  this  I  made  many  other  voyages,  which  I  nowe  pretermit, 
and  waxing  olde,  I  giue  myselfe  to  rest  from  such  trauels,  be- 
cause there  are  nowe  many  yong  and  lustie  Pilots  and  Mariners 
of  good  experience,  by  whose  forwardnesse  I  doe  reioyce  in  the 
fruit  of  my  labours,  and  rest  with  the  charge  of  this  oifice,  as 
you  see. 

The  foresaide  Baptista  Ramusius  in  his  preface  to  the 
thirde  volume  of  the  Nauigations,  writeth  thus  of  Sebas- 
tian Cabot. 

IN  the  latter  part  of  this  volume  are  put  certaine  relations  of 
John  de  Vararzana,  Florentine,  and  of  a  great  captaine  a 
Frenchman,  and  the  two  voyages  of  laques  Cartier,  a  Briton, 
who  sailed  vnto  the  land  situate  in  50.  degrees  of  latitude  to  the 
No!th,  which  is  called  New  France,  which  landes  hitherto  are 
not  thoroughly  knowen,  whether  they  doe  ioyne  with  the  firme 
lande  of  Florida  and  Nona  Hispania,  or  whether  they  bee  sepa- 
rated and  diuided  all  by  the  Sea  as  Hands  :  and  whether  that 
by  that  way  one  may  goe  by  Sea  vnto  the  country  of  Cathaia. 
As  many  yeeres  past  it  was  written  vnto  mee  by  Sebastian 
Cabota  our  Countrey  man  a  Venetian,  a  man  of  great  expe- 
rience, and  very  rare  in  the  art  of  Nauigation,  and  the  knowledge 
of  Cosmographie,  who  sailed  along  and  beyond  this  lande  of 
New  France,  at  the  charges  of  King  Henry  the  seuenth  king  of 
England  :  and  he  aduertised  mee,  that  hauing  sailed  a  long  time 
West  and  by  North,  beyond  those  Hands  vnto  the  Latitude  of  67. 
degrees  and  an  halfe,  vnder  the  North  pole,  and  at  the  11  day 
of  lune  finding  still  the  open  Sea  without  any  maner  of  impedi- 
ment, he  thought  verily  by  that  way  to  haue  passed  on  still  the 
way  to  Cathaia,  which  is  in  the  P^ast,  and  would  haue  done  it,  if 
the  mutinie  of  the  shipmaster  and  Mariners  had  not  hindered 
him  and  made  him  to  returne  homewards  from  that  place.  But 
it  seemeth  that  God  doeth  yet  still  reserue  this  great  enterprise 
for  some  great  prince  to  discouer  this  voyage  of  Cathaia  by  this 
way,  which  for  the  bringing  of  the  Spiceries  from  India  into 
Europe,  were  the  most  easy  and  shortest  of  all  other   wayes 


N 


]  I  i 


hitherto  found  out.  And  surely  this  enterprise  would  be  the 
most  glorious,  and  of  most  importance  of  all  other  that  can  be 
imagined  to  make  his  name  great,  and  fame  immortall,  to  all 
ages  to  come,  farre  more  then  can  he  done  by  any  of  all  these 
great  troubles  and  warres  which  dayly  are  used  in  Europe 
among  the  miserable  Christian  people. 

Another  testimonie  of  the  voyage  of  Sebastian  Cabot  to  the 
West  and  Northwest,  taken  out  of  the  sixt  Chapter  of 
the  third  Decade  of  Peter  Martyr  of  Angleria. 

THese  North  Seas  haue  bene  searched  by  one  Sebastian 
Cabot,  a  Venetian  borne,  whom  being  yet  but  in  maner  an 
infant,  his  parents  carried  with  them  into  England,  hauing 
occasion  to  resort  thither  for  trade  of  marchandise,  as  is  the 
maner  of  the  Venetians  to  leaue  no  part  of  the  world  vnsearched 
to  obtaine  riches.  Hee  therefore  furnished  two  ships  in  Eng- 
land at  his  owne  charges,  and  first  with  300  men  directed  his 
course  so  farre  towards  the  North  pole,  that  cuen  in  the  moneth 
of  luly  he  found  monstrous  heapes  of  ice  swimming  on  the  sea, 
and  in  maner  continuall  day  light,  yet  saw  he  the  land  in  that 
tract  free  from  ice,  which  had  bene  molten  by  the  heat  of  the 
Sunne.  Thus  seeing  such  heapes  of  yce  before  him,  hee  was 
enforced  to  turne  his  sailes  and  follow  the  West,  so  coasting  still 
by  the  shore,  that  hee  was  thereby  brought  so  farre  into  the 
South,  by  reason  of  the  land  bending  so  much  Southwards,  that 
it  was  there  almost  equal  in  latitude,  with  the  sea  Eretum  Her- 
culeum,  hauing  the  Northpole  eleuate  in  maner  in  the  same 
degree.  He  sailed  likewise  in  this  tract  so  farre  towards  the 
West,  that  hee  had  the  Island  of  Cuba  on  his  left  hand,  in  maner 
in  the  same  degree  of  longitude.  As  hee  traueiled  by  the 
coastes  of  this  great  land,  (which  he  named  IJaccalaos)  he  saith 
that  hee  found  the  like  course  of  the  waters  toward  the  West,  but 
the  same  to  runne  more  softly  and  gently  than  the  swift  waters 
which  the  Spaniards  found  in  their  Nauigations  Southwards. 
Wherefore  it  is  not  onely  more  like  to  be  true,  but  ought  also  of 
necessitie  to  be  concluded  that  betweene  both  the  lands  hitherto 
vnknowen,  there  should  be  certaine  great  open  places  whereby 
the  waters  should  thus  continually  passe  from  the  East  vnto  the 
West :  which  waters  I  suppose  to  be  driuen  about  the  globe  of 
the  earth  by  the  uncessant  mouing  and  impulsion  of  the  heauens, 
and  not  to  bee  swallowed  vp  and  cast  vp  againe  by  the  breath- 
ing of  Demogorgon,  as  some  haue  imagined,  because  they  see 
the  seas  by  increase  and  decrease  to  ebbe  and  flowe.  Sebastian 
Cabot  himselfe  named  those  lands  Baccalaos,  because  that  in 


the  Seas  thereabout  hee  found  so  great  multitudes  of  certaine 
bigge  fishes  much  like  vnto  Tunics,  (which  the  inhabitants  call 
Haccalaos)  that  they  sometimes  stayed  his  shippes.  He  found 
also  the  people  of  those  regions  couered  with  beastes  skinnes, 
yet  not  without  the  vse  of  reason.  He  also  saieth  there  is  great 
plentie  of  Beares  in  those  regions  which  vse  to  eate  fish  :  for 
plunging  themselves  in  y*^  water,  where  they  perceiue  a  multi- 
tude of  these  fishes  to  lie,  they  fasten  their  clawes  in  their 
scales,  and  so  draw  them  to  land  and  eate  them,  so  (as  he  saith) 
the  Beares  being  thus  satisfied  with  fish,  are  not  noisome  to 
men.  Hee  declareth  further,  that  in  many  places  of  these 
Regions  he  saw  great  plentie  of  Copper  among  the  inhabitants. 
Cabot  is  my  very  friend,  whom  I  vse  familiarly,  and  delight  to 
haue  him  sometimes  keepe  mee  company  in  mine  owne  house. 
For  being  called  out  of  England  by  the  commandcnent  of  the 
Catholique  King  of  Castile,  after  the  death  of  King  Henry  the 
seuenth  of  that  name  Kmg  of  England,  he  was  made  one  of  our 
council  and  Assistants,  as  touching  the  affaires  of  the  new 
Indies,  looking  for  ships  dayly  to  be  furnished  for  him  to  dis- 
couer  this  hid  secret  of  Nature. 


the 
aith 
but 
Iters 
rds. 
so  of 
erto 
reby 
0  the 
)e  of 
uens, 
eath- 
see 
stian 
at  in 


The  testimonie  of  Francis  Lopez  de  Gomara  a  Spaniard,  in 
the  fourth  Chapter  of  the  seconc.  i>ooke  of  his  generall 
history  of  the  West  Indies  concerning  the  first  discouerie 
of  a  great  part  of  the  West  Indies,  to  wit,  from  5S.  to  38. 
degrees  of  latitude,  by  Sebastian  Cabota  out  of  England. 

HE  which  brought  most  certaine  newes  of  the  countrey  tSr 
people  of  Baccalaos,  saith  Gomara,  was  Sebastian  Cabote  a 
Venetian,  which  rigged  vp  two  ships  at  the  cost  of  K.  Henry 
the  7.  of  England,  hauing  great  desire  to  traffique  for  the  spices 
as  the  Portingals  did.  He  carried  with  him  300.  men,  and 
tooke  the  way  towards  Island  from  beyond  the  Cape  of  La- 
brador, vntill  he  found  himselfe  in  5S.  degrees  and  better.  He 
made  relation  that  in  the  moneth  of  luly  it  was  so  cold,  and  the 
ice  so  great,  that  hee  durst  not  passe  any  further :  that  the 
days  were  very  long,  in  a  maner  without  any  night,  and  for  that 
short  night  that  they  had,  it  was  very  cleare.  Cabot  feeling  the 
cold,  turned  towards  the  West,  refreshing  himselfe  at  Baccalaos: 
and  afterwards  he  sayled  along  the  coast  vnto  38.  degrees,  and 
from  thence  he  shaped  his  course  to  returne  into  England. 

A  note  of  Sebastian  Cabots  first  discouerie  of  part  of  the 
Indies  taken  out  of  the  latter  part   of  Robert  Fabians 


w 


H 


8 

Chronicle  not  hitherto  printed,  which  is  in  the  custodie 
of  M.  lohn  Slow  a  diligent  preseruer  of  Antiquities. 

IN  the  13.  yeere  of  K.  Henry  the  7.  (by  meanes  of  one  lohn 
Cabot  a  Venetian  which  made  himselfe  very  expert  and  cunning 
in  knowledge  of  the  circuit  of  the  world  and  Hands  of  the  same, 
as  by  a  Sea  card  and  other  demonstrations  reasonable  he 
shewed)  the  King  caused  to  man  and  victual!  a  ship  at  Bristow, 
to  search  for  an  Island,  which  he  said  hee  knew  well  was  rich, 
and  replenished  with  great  commodities:  Which  shippe  thus 
manned  and  victualled  at  the  kings  cost,  diuers  Marchants  of 
London  ventured  in  her  small  stocks,  being  in  her  as  chiefe 
patron  the  said  Venetian.  And  in  the  company  of  the  said 
ship,  sailed  also  out  of  Ikistow  three  or  foure  small  ships  fraught 
with  sleight  and  grosse  marchandizes,  as  course  cloth,  caps, 
laces,  points  cv:  other  trilles.  And  so  departed  from  Bristow  in 
the  beginning  of  May,  of  whom  in  this  Maiors  time  returned  no 
tidings. 

Of  three  Sauages  which  Cabot  brought  home  and  presented 
vnto  the  King  in  the  foureteenth  yere  of  his  reigne,  men- 
tioned by  the  foresaid  Robert  Fabian. 

THis  yeere  also  were  brought  vnto  the  king  three  men  taken 
in  the  Newfound  Island  that  before  I  spake  of,  in  William  Pur- 
chas  time  being  Maior  :  These  were  clothed  in  beasts  skins,  & 
did  eate  raw  flesh,  and  spake  such  speach  that  no  man  could 
vnderstand  them,  and  in  their  demeanour  like  to  bruite  beastes, 
whom  the  King  kept  a  time  after.  Of  the  which  vpon  two 
yeeres  after,  I  saw  two  apparelled  after  the  maner  of  English- 
men in  Westminster  pal  lace,  which  that  time  I  could  not  dis- 
cerne  from  l-jiglishmen,  til  I  was  learned  what  they  were,  but 
as  for  speach,  1  heard  none  of  them  vtter  one  word. 

A  briefc  extract  concerning  the  discouerie  of  Newfound- 
land,  taken  out  of  the  booke  of  M.  Robert  Thorne,  to 
Doctor  Leigh,  &c. 

I  Reason,  that  as  some  sicknesses  are  hereditarie,  so  this 
inclination  or  desire  of  this  discouery  I  inherited  from  my 
father,  which  with  another  marchant  of  Bristol  named  Hugh 
Eliot,  were  the  discouerers  of  the  Newfound-lands  ;  of  the  which 
there  is  no  doubt  (as  nowe  plainely  appeareth)  if  the  mariners 
would  then  haue  bene  ruled,  and  followed  their  Pilots  minde, 
but  the  lands  of  the  West  Indies,  from  whence  all  the  golde 
Cometh,  had  bene  ours ;  for  all  is  one  coast  as  by  the  Card 
appeareth,  and  is  aforesaid. 


The  large  pension  granted  by  K.  Edward  the  6.  to  Sebas- 
tian Cabota,  constituting  him  grand  Pilot  of  England. 

FH^ward  the  sixt  by  the  grace  of  Ood,  King  of  England, 
France  and  Ireland,  defender  of  the  faith,  to  all  Christian 
people  to  whom  these  presents  shall  come,  sendeth  greeting. 
Know  yee  that  we,  in  consideration  of  the  good  and  acceptable 
seruice  done,  and  to  be  done,  vnto  vs  by  our  beloued  seruant 
Sebastian  Cabota,  of  our  speciall  grace,  certaine  knowledge, 
meere  motion,  and  by  the  aduice  and  counsel  of  our  most 
honourable  vncle  Edward  duke  of  Somerset  gouernour  of  our 
person,  and  Protector  of  our  kingdomes,  dominions,  and  sub- 
iects,  and  of  the  rest  of  our  Counsaile,  haue  giiien  iV  granted^ 
and  by  these  presents  do  giue  and  graunt  to  the  said  Sebastian 
Cabota,  a  certaine  annuitie,  or  yerely  reuenue  of  one  hundreth, 
three-score  &  sixe  pounds,  thirteene  shillings  foure  pence  ster- 
ling, to  haue,  enioy,  and  yerely  receiue  the  aforesaid  annuitie, 
or  yerely  reuenue,  to  the  foresaid  Sebastian  Cabota  during  his 
natural  life,  out  of  our  Treasurie  at  the  receit  of  our  Exchequer 
at  Westminster,  at  the  hands  of  our  'Treasurers  «Si  paymasters, 
there  remayning  for  the  time  being,  at  the  feasts  of  the  Annun- 
tiation  of  the  blessed  Virgin  Mary,  the  Natiuitie  of  S.  lohn 
Baptist,  S.  Michael  y-'  Archangel,  &  the  Natiuitie  of  our  Lord, 
to  be  paid  by  equal  portions. 

And  further,  of  our  more  speciall  grace,  and  by  the  aduise 
and  consent  aforesaide  wee  doe  giue,  and  by  these  presents  doe 
graunt  vnto  the  aforesaide  Sebastian  Cabota,  so  many,  and  so 
great  summes  of  money  as  the  saide  annuitie  or  yeerely  reuenue 
of  an  hundreth,  three-score  and  sixe  pounds,  thirteene  shillings 
4.  pence,  doeth  amount  and  rise  vnto  from  the  feast  of  S. 
Michael  the  Archangel  last  past  vnto  this  present  time,  to  be 
had  and  receiued  by  the  aforesaid  Sebastian  Cabota,  and  his 
assignees  out  of  our  aforesaid  Treasurie,  at  the  handes  of  our 
aforesaide  Treasurers,  and  officers  of  our  Exchequer  of  our  free 
gift  without  accompt,  or  any  thing  else  therefore  to  be  yeelded. 
payed,  or  made,  to  vs,  our  heires  or  successours,  forasmuch  as. 
herein  expresse  mention  is  made  to  the  contrary. 

In  witnesse  whereof  we  haue  caused  these  our  Letters  to  be 
made  patents :  Witnesse  the  King  at  Westminster  the  sixt  day 
of  lanuarie,  in  the  second  yeere  of  his  raigne.  The  yeere  of 
our  Lord  1548. 


>i' 


1& 


lO 

"  Sometimes  in  Wagner's  musical  dramas  the  introduction  of  a  few 
notes  from  some  leading  melody  foretells  the  inevitable  catastrophe 
toward  which  the  action  is  moving,  as  when  in  Lohengrin's  bridal 
chamber  the  well-known  sound  of  the  distant  Grail  motive  steals 
suddenly  upon  the  ear,  and  the  heart  of  the  rapt  listener  is  smitten 
with  a  sense  of  imjjending  doom.  So  in  the  drama  of  maritime  dis- 
covery, as  glimpses  of  new  worlds  were  beginning  to  reward  the  en- 
terprising crowns  of  Spain  and  Portugal,  for  a  moment  there  came 
from  the  North  a  few  brief  notes  fraught  with  ominous  portent.  The 
])ower  for  whom  destiny  had  reserved  the  world  empire  of  which 
these  Southern  nations  —  so  noble  in  aim,  so  mistaken  in  policy  — 
were  dreaming  stretched  forth  her  hand  in  quiet  disregard  of  papal 
bulls,  and  laid  it  upon  the  western  shore  of  the  ocean.  It  was  only 
for  a  moment,  and  long  years  were  to  pass  before  the  consequences 
were  developed.  lUit  in  truth  the  first  fateful  note  that  heralded  the 
coming  English  suprcniacy  was  sounded  when  John  Cabot's  liny 
craft  sailed  out  from  the  Bristol  channel  on  a  bright  May  morning  of 
1497." — John  Fiske,  TJic  Discovoy  of  A^nerica. 

The  slight  contemporary  mention,  which  is  all  that  we  have  of  the 
voyages  of  the  Cabots  in  r497  and  149^,  does  not  enable  us  to  deter- 
mine with  precision  the  parts  of  the  North  American  coast  that  were 
visited.  We  k  )W  that  a  chart  of  the  tirst  voyage  was  made  ;  for  both 
the  .Spanish  envoys,  Puebia  and  Ayala,  writing  between  August  24, 
1497,  and  July  25.  149-'^,  mentioned  having  seen  such  a  chart,  and 
from  an  inspection  of  it  they  concluded  that  the  distance  run  did  not 
exceed  400  leagues.  The  \"enetian  merchant.  Pasqualigo,  gave  the 
distance  more  correctly  as  700  leagues,  and  added  that  Cabot  fol- 
lowed the  coast  of  the  "territory  of  the  Grand  Khan"  fo"  300 
leagues,  and  in  returning  saw  two  islands  to  starboard.  An  early 
tradition  fixed  upon  the  coast  of  Labrador  as  the  region  first  visited, 
and  until  lately  this  has  been  the  prevailing  opinion. 

The  chart  seen  by  the  Spanish  ministers  in  London  is  unfortu- 
nately lost.  But  a  map  engraved  in  Germany  or  Flanders  in  1544  or 
late,  and  said  to  be  after  a  drawing  by  .Sebastian  Cabt)t,  has  at  the 
north  of  what  we  call  the  island  of  Cape  Breton  the  legend  '•'■  prima 
licrra  vista,'''  i.e.  '^ first  la)id seen  "y  and  in  this  connection  there  is  a 
marginal  inscription.  Spanish  and  Latin,  saying,  "  This  country  was 
di'-covered  by  John  Cabot,  a  \'enetian,  and  .Sebastian  Cabot,  his 
son.  in  the  year  of  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ  m.  (  t  cf.  xciiii*  on  the 
24th  day  of  June  in  the  morning,  which  country  they  called  prima 
tierra  vista,  and  a  large  island  near  by  they  named  St.  John  because 
they  discovered  it  on  the  same  day."  Starting  from  this  information, 
it  has  been  supposed  that  the  navigators,  passing  this  St.  John,  which 
we  call  Prince  Edward  Island,  coasted  around  the  Gulf  of  St.  Law- 
rence and  pa'^sed  out  through  the  Strait  of  Belle  Isle.  The  two 
islands  seen  on  the  starboard  would  then  be  points  on  the  northern 


\  5 


*  This  date  is  wrong, 
bottom,  making  .1  v. 


Tine  first  two  letters  after  xc  sliouid  be  jc.tred  together  at  the 


It 


coast  of  Newfoundland,  and  a  considerable  part  of  Pasqualigo's  300 
leagues  of  coasting  would  thus  be  accounted  for.  But  inasmuch  as 
the  •'  Matthew  "  had  returned  to  Bristol  by  the  first  of  August,  it  may 
be  doubted  whether  so  long  a  route  could  have  been  traversed  within 
five  weeks. 

If  we  could  be  sure  that  the  map  of  1544  in  its  present  shape  and 
with  all  its  legends  emanated  from  Sebastian  Cabot,  and  was  drawn 
with  the  aid  of  charts  made  at  the  time  of  discovery,  its  authority 
would  be  very  high  indeed.  But  there  are  some  reasons  for  sup- 
posing it  to  iiave  been  amended  or  ''touched  up ''by  the  engraver; 
and  it  is  evidently  compiled  from  charts  made  later  than  i  536,  for  it 
shows  the  results  of  Jacques  Cartier's  explorations  in  the  Gulf  of  St. 
Lawrence.  Its  statement  as  to  the  first  landfoll  is,  moreover,  in  con- 
flict with  the  testimony  of  the  merchant  Robert  Thome,  of  Bristol,  in 
1527,  and  with  that  of  two  maps  made  at  Seville  in  1527  and  1529, 
according  to  which  the  '■^ prhna  f terra  71/s/a'^  was  somewhere  on  the 
coast  of  Labrador.  It  must  be  remembered,  too,  that  John  Cabot 
was  instructed  to  take  northerly  and  westerly  courses,  not  southerly; 
and  an  important  despatch  from  Raimondo  de  Soncino,  in  London,  to 
the  Duke  of  Milan,  dated  December  18,  1497,  describes  his  course  in 
accordance  with  these  instructions.  It  is  perfectly  definite  and 
altogether  probable.  According  to  this  account  Cabot  sailed  from 
Bristol  in  a  small  ship,  manned  by  eighteen  ])ersons,  and,  having 
cleared  the  western  shores  of  Ireland,  turned  northward,  after  a  few 
days  headed  for  Asia,  and  stood  mainly  west  till  he  readied  •'  Terra 
Firnia,"'  where  he  planted  the  royal  standard,  and  forthwith  returned 
to  England.  In  other  words,  he  followed  the  common  custom  in 
those  days  of  first  running  to  a  chosen  parallel,  and  then  following 
that  parallel  to  the  point  of  destination.  Such  a  course  could  hardly 
have  landed  him  anywhere  save  on  the  coast  of  Labrador.  .Supposing 
his  return  voyage  simply  to  have  reversed  this  course,  running  south- 
easterly to  the  latitude  of  the  English  channel  and  then  sailing  due 
east,  he  may  easily  have  coasted  300  leagues  with  land  to  starboard 
before  finally  bearing  away  from  Cape  Race.  This  view  is  in  har- 
mony with  the  fact  that  on  the  desolate  coasts  passed  he  saw  no 
Indians  or  other  human  beings.  He  noticed  the  abundance  of  cod- 
fish, however,  in  the  waters  about  Newfoundland,  and  declared  that 
the  English  would  no  longer  need  to  go  to  Iceland  for  their  fish.  Our 
informant  adds  that  Master  John,  toeing  foreign-born  and  ])Oor,  would 
ha\e  been  set  down  as  a  liar,  had  not  his  crew,  who  were  mostly 
Bristol  men,  confirmed  everything  he  said. —  Fiske. 


John  Cc^bot,  like  Columbus  a  native  of  Genoa,  moved  to  England  with 
his  family  from  Venice,  which  had  been  his  home  for  fifteen  years,  about 
1490,  and  settled  at  Bristol.  He  may  have  been  among  those  who  were 
ii  Hiienccd  at  that  time  by  the  arguments  of  Bartholomew  Columbus.  Ex- 
cited Ijy  the  news  of  the  first  voyage  of  ColumI)us,  he  sailed  from  Bristol 
with  a  crew  of  eighteen  men,  probably  accompanied  by  his  son  Sebastia* 


m^ 


12 


Hi 


in  a  ship  named  the  Matthew  or  Matthews^  early  in  Mav,  1497,  and  discov- 
ered what  he  supj50sed  to  be  the  Chinese  coast,  but  what  was  the  coast  of 
Labrador  or  Newloundland,  on  the  24th  of  June.  This  was  the  first  dis- 
covery of  America  by  any  navigators  sailing  under  English  autho.  itv.  It 
has  been  supposed  that  John  Cabot  died  on  a  second  expedition,  which 
sailed  from  Bristol  the  next  year,  leaving  the  command  to  his  son  Sebastian, 
who  may  have  conducted  a  third  expedition  in  1501  or  1503. 

There  is  much  that  is  obscure  concerning  the  Cabots  and  their  voyages. 
The  best  modern  work  upon  the  subject  is  WdiXx\?>%€'i  Jean  ct  Sehasticii  Calwt, 
published  in  I'aris  in  18S2,  but  not  yet  translated  into  English.  Biddle's 
Sehastian  Cabot  should  be  consulted  by  the  student.  Mr.  Fiske's  account,  in 
\\\i,  Discm'cry  of  America, '\%\>x\ti,h\xX.  clear  and  critical.  The  most  impor- 
tant discussion  in  English  of  the  voyages  of  the  Cabots  is  that  by  Charles 
Deane,  in  the  Narrative  and  Critical  History  of  America,  vol.  iii.  The  bib- 
liographical notes  accompanying  this  arc  very  thorough,  forming  a  complete 
guide  to  everything  that  is  to  be  learned  concerning  the  Cabots. 

The  volume  b^'  kichnrd  Hakluyt  on  The  Principal  Navij^^ations,  Voy- 
ages, and  Discoverier  of  the  English  Nation,  containing  the  principal  early 
notices  of  the  Cabots,  reprinted  in  ihe  present  leaflet,  was  published  in 
London  in  1589,  several  of  the  same  notices  having  previously  appeared  in 
his  Divers  Voyages  touching  the  DiscoT'ery  of  America,  published  in  1 5S2.  In 
Richard  Eden's  Decades  of  tlie  Newe  tVorld,  published  in  1555,  there  had, 
however,  appeared  accounts  of  the  Cabot  voyages,  the  first  in  English  which 
have  come  down  to  us.  Richard  Elden  knew  Sebastian  Cabot,  who  was 
living  in  England  at  the  time  he  wrote.  Most  of  the  early  accounts  of  the 
Cabots,  with  careful  historical  notes,  may  be  found  in  Kerr's  Voyages  and 
Travels,  vol.  vi.  All  of  these  old  accounts  are  to  be  read  with  great  care, 
and  the  student  should  refer  to  the  narratives  of  Mr.  Deane  and  Mr.  Fiske 
for  corrections  of  many  of  their  palpable  mistakes.  Thus  the  discourse  to 
Hutrigarius  ascribed  to  Sebastian  Cabot,  given  by  Ramusio.  places  the 
death  of  John  Cabot  in  1496,  and  makes  Sebastian  himself  conduct  the  first 
c-xpedition  in  that  year.  It  also  makes  the  purpose  of  the  voyage  of  1498 
the  discovery  of  a  "  north-west  passage "  to  Asia,  whereas  the  idea  of  a 
north-west  passage  through  or  around  America  to  Asia  did  not  enter  men's 
minds  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  after  that.  The  passage  which  Ilakluyt 
cites  from  Stow's  Chronicles  does  not  mention  John  Cabot,  as  Hakluyt 
makes  it,  l)ut  begins  :  "  This  year  one  Sebastian  Gabato,  a  Genoa's  son,  born 
in  Bristow,"  etc.  Here,  however,  the  change  by  Hakluyt  is  in  the  interest 
of  truth. 


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